Flexiple Co-Founder Shares NoCode Tools That Help Him Run $2-Million Startup

Flexiple co-founder and CEO Karthik Sridharan shared a fascinating story on Twitter of NoCode tools that helped him build a startup with $2 million (roughly Rs. 14.6 crores) revenue. Flexiple is a network of top freelance developers and designers. The NoCode tools, Sridharan said, cost his company just $80 (roughly Rs. 5,800) a month. In a thread, Sridharan said that a lot of people had gotten back to him asking how he utilises NoCode tools. Earlier this week, on June 7, he tweeted that he would share seven types of no-code tools along with: "1) Specific use case each solves. 2) Real examples. 3) Alternatives.”

In the second tweet on his thread, Sridharan suggests marketing websites and tools and how to use them. He has also shared videos showing how the tools are to be used.

“You can simply drag & drop elements onto a page. Build a marketing website in less than 60 mins Easily edit your marketing copy & communication to customers,” he wrote.

"Our startup's $2 million revenue runs on a $80/month NoCode stack."

When I shared this, I got many questions around the tools used.

So, today I share 7 types of NoCode tools along with:
1. Specific use case each solves
2. Real examples
3. Alternatives

Thread ????

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

1/ Marketing websites

A) Tools: @unicornplatform, @umsohq

B) Use cases
- You can simply drag & drop elements onto a page

- Build a marketing website in less than 60 mins

- Easily edit your marketing copy & communication to customers pic.twitter.com/RpqIovYC2S

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

The next tweet was a continuation of the previous one and the Flexiple CEO said he and his team had built their entire website containing over 50+ pages on the Unicorn platform.

1/ Marketing website (contd.)

C) Example

- We built our entire website of https://t.co/mdQsG3XKpg containing over 50+ pages on Unicorn platform

D) Alternatives
- @carrd
- @webflow (covered later) pic.twitter.com/4QjXmXZExW

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

In the next tweet of the thread, Sridharan wrote about “database storage and information websites” for which he recommends using the Airtable tool.

"Use cases: Advanced and more UI-friendly excel. Easily collect data using an intuitive form. Neatly present the data on your website in intuitive layouts," he wrote, attaching a demo video as well.

2/ Database storage and information websites

A) Tool: @airtable

B) Use cases
- Advanced and more UI-friendly excel
- Easily collect data using an intuitive form
- Neatly present the data on your website in intuitive layouts pic.twitter.com/apv9NXQSgG

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

In one of the threads, Sridharan said that to help individuals laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team built a page listing those who could be hired.

"Alternatives: Tools like Sheet2site, Table2site work well with Airtable to make quick websites," he concluded in this part.

2/ DB & Information websites (contd.)

C) Example
- To help individuals laid off due to COVID, we built a page listing those who could be hired: https://t.co/QRmyRdLvWk

D) Alternatives
- Tools like Sheet2site, Table2site work well with Airtable to make quick websites pic.twitter.com/tD5uTz5RXJ

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

Moving on to “beautiful info and e-commerce websites”, he says the tool for this is web flow.

“Build beautiful custom layouts without Code. Leverage its "CMS" to make numerous automated pages. Use particularly if you are a designer and want to implement custom design to pixel perfection," he said.

This tweet, too, carried a video, explaining how the tool functioned.

3/ Beautiful info & e-commerce websites

A) Tool: @webflow

B) Use cases
- Build beautiful custom layouts without Code
- Leverage its "CMS" to make numerous automated pages
- Use particularly if you are a designer and want to implement custom design to pixel perfection pic.twitter.com/KdVH1nIuGc

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

3/ Beautiful info websites (contd.)

C) Examples
- We built both Scale (https://t.co/WYOMSbhe0S) and Founder origin stories (https://t.co/Bccnk2ttJc) on Webflow

D) Alternatives
- Bubble (https://t.co/EBjaMRd1FQ): However, if focus is pixel perfect design, Webflow is much better. pic.twitter.com/nfz2CmfpCJ

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

Then he goes on to tweet about automating workflows, for which his suggestion is to use tools Zapier and Integromat.

"Automate recurring manual effort. Store data in CRM, send automated emails, integrate tools, etc," he said, adding, "@zapier is more intuitive but costly, @integromat has a steeper learning curve but handles complex cases."

4/ Automate workflows

A) Tools: @zapier, @integromat

B) Use cases
- Automate recurring manual effort
- Store data in CRM, send automated mails, integrate tools, etc.
- @zapier is more intuitive but costly, @integromat has a steeper learning curve but handles complex cases

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

"Almost all our dynamic flows are handled by Zapier or Integromat. User signup -> storing their data in our db -> sending them a mail," he wrote in the next part of the thread. The alternatives for this one, he said are Parabola and Automate.

4/ Automate workflows (contd.)

C) Example
- Almost all our dynamic flows are handled by Zapier or Integromat. User signup -> storing their data in our db -> sending them a mail

D) Alternatives:
- Parabola (@parabolahq)
- Automate (@automate) pic.twitter.com/DhSnPgLCnI

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

Next is "Login & membership systems" for Sridharan suggested MemberstackApp and member space tools.

"To convert your static website to have signups/logins and to also manage SAAS memberships. Restrict content or pages to only paid users," he wrote, adding that they built a dashboard for new projects viewing, sharing invoices, etc. using the above set of tools.

5/ Login & membership systems

A) Tools: @MemberstackApp, @memberspace

B) Use cases
- To convert your static website to have signups/logins and to also manage SAAS memberships
- Restrict content or pages to only paid users

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

5/ Login and membership systems (contd.)

C) Example
- We built a dashboard for new projects viewing, sharing invoices, etc. using the above set of tools: https://t.co/GzLnfE0dSr

D) Alternative
- Bubble offers an in-built authentication system but doesn't manage subscriptions

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

And here are two tweets explaining the "complex web-based product."

6/ Any complex web-based product

A) Tool: @bubble

B) Use cases
- Job-boards, marketplaces, internal tools => build varied applications using its "workflows" & database
- Quite self-sufficient and removes the need to depend on other tools
- Responsive design is a not the best pic.twitter.com/GWRvA5nCMt

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

6/ Complex web-based product (contd.)

C) Example
- Our internal tool is entirely built on top of Bubble and saves ~160 human hours per month (has sensitive data, so can't share video)

D) Alternatives:
- Adalo, Glide: More suited for mobile apps (discussed next)

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

At last, in the series of tweets, Sridharan spoke about mobile apps, suggesting Glideapps and AdaloHQ.

"Build complex mobile apps with a simple drag & drop functionality. Automate user actions with in-built workflows. Use their own DB or even GoogleSheets to store data," he wrote, adding that he had not used these products himself, but a cool example would be of the apps made to help organise and share COVID-19 resources with people.

7/ Mobile apps

A) Tools: @glideapps, @AdaloHQ

B) Use cases
- Build complex mobile apps with a simple drag & drop functionality
- Automate user actions with in-built workflows
- Use their own DB or even GoogleSheets to store data pic.twitter.com/Nc6RnFxX2t

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

7/ Mobile apps (contd.)

C) Example
- Not used these products myself, but a really cool example is of the apps made to help organise & share COVID resources with people: https://t.co/5mpFJSKvWv

D) Alternatives
- No credible alternatives that I know of

— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) June 7, 2021

He ended his thread by telling his followers to “start building great products.”